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By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright September 2024
Well, well, well! It looks like Sanusi has finally cracked the ultimate flood management strategy—leave it to God!
Why cancel a perfectly good trip to Japan when you can be touring underground dams while your own state is submerged? Priorities, right? After all, Kedah doesn’t need its Menteri Besar; they just need divine intervention!
Maybe next time Kedah can take a page from Sanusi's Tokyo itinerary and install a few underground dams before God "decides to send another one"—you know, for when Sanusi is off on his next overseas learning adventure.
But hey, let's cut him some slack. It's not like Sanusi’s presence would magically part the floodwaters, Moses-style. Yet he could have at least brought back a souvenir that floats. You know, just in case.
This isn’t Sanusi’s first rodeo, though. Malaysia has a proud tradition of leaders who excel in “crisis absenteeism.” Remember when Najib was busy sinking birdies with Obama in Hawaii while the East Coast was sinking under floodwaters?
That was a masterclass in “bad optics.” His defense? His being there wouldn’t have made much difference, either! Yeah, because when you're up against a flood, all you really need is a sand wedge, right?
Sanusi, to his credit, swapped golf clubs for a trip to Japan, learning about underground dams while Kedah was becoming a kiddie pool. No U.S. president to tee off with this time, but the timing raised eyebrows all the same. It's almost like they save these learning trips specifically for flood season. Who knows, maybe he was just getting hands-on experience for his next excuse.
And then there’s Terengganu’s Menteri Besar, off to New Zealand for his daughter’s graduation while his state was underwater. Ah, a family affair, this one. You have to admire the man's dedication to his daughter—nothing says “supportive parent” like ditching a drowning state for a cap-and-gown moment halfway around the globe. But hey, couldn’t he have just slapped on a "Proud Dad, Managing Floods" background on Zoom?
Of course, his presence wouldn’t have immediately dried up Terengganu either—no leader has that kind of superpower, though some might like you to believe otherwise.
But once again, it's the timing that raises questions. It’s almost as if Malaysian politicians have a built-in radar for skipping town when disaster strikes. Golf with Obama, dam tours in Japan, graduations in New Zealand... Maybe it’s time we schedule these trips—and family events—around monsoon season.
Or, who knows, maybe they’ll all come back with waterproof souvenirs for everyone, next time.
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